Name: Dorian Avers's review of The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen
Item: The Unraveling of Mercy Louis
Rating: 4
Author: Dorian Avers

Keija Parssinen

Winner of the 2016 Alex Award Best Book of 2015 —Kansas City Star In this intricate novel of psychological suspense, a fatal discovery near the high school ignites a witch-hunt in a Southeast Texas refinery town, unearthing communal and family secrets that threaten the lives of the town’s girls. In Port Sabine, the air is thick with oil, superstition reigns, and dreams hang on making a winning play. All eyes are on Mercy Louis, the star of the championship girls’ basketball team. Mercy seems destined for greatness, but the road out of town is riddled with obstacles. There is her grandmother, Evelia, a strict evangelical who has visions of an imminent Rapture and sees herself as the keeper of Mercy’s virtue. There are the cryptic letters from Charmaine, the mother who abandoned Mercy at birth. And then there’s Travis, the boy who shakes the foundation of her faith. At the periphery of Mercy’s world floats team manager Illa Stark, a lonely wallflower whose days are spent caring for a depressed mother crippled in a refinery accident. Like the rest of the town, Illa is spellbound by Mercy’s beauty and talent, but a note discovered in Mercy’s gym locker reveals that her life may not be as perfect as it appears. The last day of school brings the disturbing discovery, and as summer unfolds and the police investigate, every girl becomes a suspect. When Mercy collapses on the opening night of the season, Evelia prophesies that she is only the first to fall, and soon, other girls are afflicted by the mysterious condition, sending the town into a tailspin, and bringing Illa and Mercy together in an unexpected way. Evocative and unsettling, The Unraveling of Mercy Louis charts the downfall of one town’s golden girl while exploring the brutality and anxieties of girlhood in America.

A Novel

The Unraveling of Mercy Louis

Dorian Avers

This book wasn't what I expected, but I really liked it. I always read the summary of a book before I pick it up, but then it sits on my shelves for awhile so I can go into it not remembering what it was about in the first place. 
 I honestly thought this would be a book about witches, but instead it's a book about relationships of all kinds, basketball, religion, greed and manipulation, and small town expectations. There is a modern day "witch hunt" that is important and infuriating, and it's conclusion that is smartly done. However, it takes a bit of a backseat to the seemingly normal lives of our two main characters. Mercy Louis: the star basketball player, devout and pure teen, and hope of this small town; and Illa Stark: the terribly shy caretaker to both athletes and her mother. Even though the girls are very different they both have these twisted family troubles. 
 This is a great book with gripping plots and subplots and some of the more realistic characters I've read in a while. There are some bits that seemed far fetched to me, but the author does address them in the Afterward. This book will hold your attention and is a quick read, but it will make you feel and make you think.

In this intricate novel of psychological suspense, a chilling discovery near the high school ignites a witch hunt in a southeast texas refinery town, unearthing communal and family secrets that threaten the lives of the town's girls. In Port Sabine, the air is thick with oil, superstition reigns, and dreams hang on making a winning play. All eyes are on Mercy Louis, the star of the championship girls' basketball team. Mercy seems destined for greatness, but the road out of town is riddled with obstacles. There is her grandmother Evelia, a strict evangelical who has visions of an imminent Rapture and sees herself as the keeper of Mercy's virtue. And then there are the cryptic letters from Charmaine, the mother who abandoned Mercy at birth. At the periphery of Mercy's world floats team manager Illa Stark, a lonely wallflower. Like the rest of the town, Illa is spellbound by Mercy's beauty and talent, but a note discovered in a gym locker reveals that Mercy's life may not be as perfect as it appears. The last day of school brings the disturbing find, and as summer unfolds and the police investigate, every girl becomes a suspect. At the opening game of the season, Mercy collapses—and Evelia prophesies that she is only the first to fall. Soon other girls are afflicted by the same mysterious condition, sending the town into a tailspin and bringing Illa and Mercy together in an unexpected way. Evocative and unsettling, The Unraveling of Mercy Louis charts the downfall of one town's golden girl while exploring the brutality and anxieties of girlhood in America.

Dorian Avers &
The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen

Reviews

Join the club

Dorian Avers &The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen

Reviews

Join the club

Dorian Avers &
The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen